Flexible modules for video authentication and sharing

Abstract

A method for managing video authentication and sharing includes storing a playlist of video clips in a storage device, allowing a manager to define a degree of privacy for the playlist by the computer system, defining roles for a plurality of users in relation to the video clips, creating user tokens for the plurality of users according to the respective roles of the users, receiving a user token over a computer network, authenticating the user token and the role of a user associated with the user token, deciding on whether the user has the right to access the playlist of video clips based on the role of the user and the degree of privacy defined for the playlist, and if it is determined that the user has the right to access the playlist, allowing the user to access the playlist of video clips over the computer network.

1 . A method for managing video authentication and sharing, comprising:
 storing a playlist of video clips in a storage device;   allowing a manager to define a degree of privacy for the playlist by the computer system;   defining roles for a plurality of users in relation to the video clips;   creating user tokens for the plurality of users according to the respective roles of the users;   receiving a user token over a computer network;   authenticating the user token and the role of a user associated with the user token;   deciding on whether the user has the right to access the playlist of video clips based on the role of the user and the degree of privacy defined for the playlist; and   if it is determined that the user has the right to access the playlist, allowing the user to access the playlist of video clips over the computer network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the degree of privacy requires that the playlist of video clips are allowed to be viewed only by a group of users. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the degree of privacy specifies that the playlist of video clips are allowed to be viewed by the public. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the roles include a viewer who has the right to view the playlist of video clips, a contributor who has the right to contribute and to view the playlist of video clips, and a manager who has the right to edit, to contribute, and to view the playlist of video clips. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the playlist includes video clips recorded by different users. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the playlist includes video clips recorded by the different users at a common occasion. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 creating a secure network token for the playlist by a computer system; and   providing the secure network token to the user to allow the user to access the playlist of video clips over the computer network.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the secure network token includes a persistent key which allows persistent access to the playlist of video clips by the user over the computer network. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the user is allowed to access the playlist of video clips using the secure network token via a video streaming site. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the user is allowed to access the playlist of video clips using the secure network token via a web browser. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the user is allowed to access the playlist of video clips using the secure network token via a computer device or a communication device. 
     
     
         12 . A method for managing video authentication and sharing, comprising:
 storing a playlist of video clips in a storage device;   creating a secure network token for the playlist by a computer system;   defining roles of a plurality of users in relation to the playlist;   creating user tokens for the plurality of users by the computer system;   receiving a user token over a computer network;   authenticating the user token and the role of a user associated with the user token; and   allowing the user to access the playlist of video clips over the computer network using the secure network token, wherein the user to is allowed to access the playlist in such a way as defined by the role of the user.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the playlist includes video clips recorded by different users. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the playlist includes video clips are recorded by the different users at a common occasion. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the roles include a viewer who has the right to view the playlist of video clips, a contributor who has the right to contribute and to view the playlist of video clips, and a manager who has the right to edit, to contribute, and to view the playlist of video clips. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the secure network token includes a persistent key which allows persistent access to the playlist of video clips by the user over the computer network. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the user is allowed to access the playlist of video clips using the secure network token via a video streaming site, via a web browser, or via a computer device or a communication device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 allowing a manager for the playlist to define a degree of privacy for the playlist.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the playlist of video clips are allowed to be viewed only by a group of users, wherein the user is allowed to access the playlist of video clips only when the user is one of the group of users. 
     
     
         20 . A method for managing video authentication and sharing, comprising:
 storing a plurality of playlists each having one or more video clips in a storage device;   creating a secure network token for each of the plurality of playlists by a computer system;   defining roles for a plurality of users in relation to the video clips;   creating user tokens for the plurality of users by the computer system;   receiving a request to access one of the plurality of playlists from a user over a computer network;   authenticating a user token received from the user by the computer system; and   allowing the user to access the one of the plurality of playlists over the computer network using the secure network token, wherein the user's access to the one of the plurality of playlists is according to the role of the user.